In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, if you associate with the “right people”, on the “right blocks”, you’ll hear about crimes and their perpetrators.
These crimes are meticulously planned, orchestrated, and boasted about on the street corners.
However, the police continue to struggle to arrest criminals and control the crime situation. Is it time for more undercover policing and a carefully crafted intelligence strategy to capture and prosecute these criminals? Or is this easier said than done, given the challenges in SVG and the moral dilemma of loyalty to friends versus loyalty to country?
In SVG, many citizens face a dilemma: balancing personal loyalty with their duty as citizens and human beings.
Imagine your friend confessing to murdering someone, but no one else knows. Would you turn them in?
If yes, would that be disloyalty?
If no, would that be unconditional loyalty?
It’s fascinating to see how Vincentians would respond to this question. Such a situation would definitely present a loyalty dilemma for most, and no one should be judged for their answer.
One might argue that every murderer should be turned in, regardless of personal relationships.
Imagine yourself in this situation.
What if your close friend, parent, spouse, sibling, or child accidentally killed someone in a drunken fight? Would you turn them in?
Or, what if someone close to you committed murder? Would you turn them in, even if it damages your relationship?
Many of you would say it’s difficult to turn an old friend or family member into the police for life in prison.
However, here’s the dilemma: Are you being a true friend by not turning your criminal friend in to the police? After all, “true friendship” involves holding each other accountable. Allowing your friend to commit a crime without your intervention is a betrayal of trust. In addition, “true friendship” is built on upholding shared values and providing genuine care and guidance.
Again, the question is: Would you be helping your friend by not turning them in?
What would change your loyalty to your criminal friend? A heinous crime, a mass murder, or a crime committed against you or someone close to you?
Consider this: if you refuse to turn your friend in, will they harm more people? Or do you believe they won’t repeat their actions?
Reflect on this: refusing to turn in a murderous friend makes you an accomplice and facilitator of the original crime and any future harm.
Sadly, dynamics like these explain why child sexual abuse persists and remains hidden in SVG. People feel a loyalty to their family or a trusted friend, so they hesitate to involve the law even when something terrible has occurred.
Does this highlight the severe moral decline in our Vincentian society and the extent of damage to our justice system that leads citizens to avoid reporting crimes, especially their criminal friends and families?
I believe so. Therefore, significant reform and restoration of our justice system are essential to establish a SVG founded on sound moral responsibility justice, accountability and values. The question is who is responsible for achieving this?
My advice to every Vincentian is to think about their actions and inactions. Intervening for a criminal friend or family isn’t about “snitching” but about guiding them towards a safer future while protecting yourself from retaliation and potential legal and social consequences.
Crime in SVG is everyone’s responsibility and the fight against crime and criminals plaguing our society starts with you pointing the finger at the ‘man in the mirror.’
Troy Prince
Concerned Vincentian
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